Ball gun



June 23, 1942.

p R. B. HAYTER BALL GUN Filed June 27, 1939 Patented June 23, 1942 BALL GUN Richard Bruster Hayter, Kansas City, Mo., assignor of one-thirdto Randolph Barnum, and onethird to J ohn Seals, both of Kansas City, Mo.

Application June 27, 1939, Serial No. 281,486

4 Claims.

designed to throw or project a ball in connection with the playing of games of the type where impelled balls are employed such, for example,

'as pool or miniature golf or croquet games.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved ball projecting toy gun in which a novel means is employed for supporting a ball in a barrel prior to the release of the impelling means, whereby the gun may be moved around to various positions before firing without danger of the ball rolling from the barrel.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ball projecting toy sun which is constructed in a novel manner whereby it may be made of various and inexpensive materials such as heavy cardboard or light sheet metal.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not to be confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of the toy gun embodying the present invention. a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section through the ball cup showing a portion of the cup carrying bar in section to show details of construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary detail illustrating the manner of connecting the back wall to the gun barrel.

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating inperspective a table upon which a ball game may be played with means for supporting the gun in various locations thereon.

In carrying out the present invention, there is provided a tube or barrel l which may be made of any desired length and formed from a sheet of suitable material such as tin, heavy cardboard or the like, the barrel being formed by rolling the sheet of material in such a manner as to bring the longitudinal edges thereof together, one of the edges having been provided with tongues 2 which are slipped through slots 3 formed in the material adjacent the opposite edge and secured to the material adjacent said slot by a rivet 4 or in any other suitable manner. At one end of the tube, a band 5 is placed about the tube and this band has terminal ears 6 which are brought together at the underside of the tube adjacent the abutting edges of the material and secured by a bolt or rivet I. Securing means 8 may also be passed through the band and the body of the tube so as to maintain the band firmly in contact with the tube.

At the end of the tube adjacent the band 5 a closure Wall 9 is provided for the tube Which may be formed integral with the band 5 or may be suitably secured to the tube by this band as by the turning of peripheral ears under the band to be secured thereby to the body of the tube.

To the end wall 9, there is attached a handle or hand grip In which, as shown, comprises a frame portion ll having a longitudinally extending end arm l2 which is secured in any suitable manner to the end wall and within the frame is retained the wooden body l3. This body with the frame ll forms the hand grip Which is in the nature or shape of the butt or hand grip of a pistol.

Where the tube is formed of cardboard, an additional reinforcement may be made use of adjacent the forward end in the form of the encircling band land when this band is used, it carries at diametrically opposite sides of the tube the outwardly extending staples I5. If the tube or barrel-is made of metal such as tin, then these staples will be secured directly to the body of the tube.

Extending longitudinally of the tube adjacent the rear end thereof are the oppositely disposed uide slots Hi. When the tube or barrel is made of cardboard, the edges of these slots will be reinforced by metallic strips I! which are of U- shaped cross-section and which fit over the longitudinal edges in the manner shown, and the end or transverse edges of the slot will be similarly reinforced and guarded against damage by strips I8. Any suitable means may be employed for securing these strips to the body of the tube as by the provision of short spurs or prongs l9 formed along the longitudinal edges of the strips and pressed through the wall of the tube.

The bottom one of the long strips I1 is provided adjacent the rear end of the tube with a stop or catch ear 20 for the purpose hereinafter set forth. It will be understood that when the tube is made of metal, this ear will be formed on the edge of the slot It as the reinforcing edge strips will not be employed.

Extending longitudinally of the tube along the bottom thereof is the trigger slot 2|, the rear end of which is in substantially the same plane transversely of the tube as the slots 16 but this slot 2i extends forwardly a distance greater than the slot l6 for the purpose hereinafter described.

Extending transversely of the insde of the tube is a bar 22 which has a reduced longitudinally extending pin 23 upon each end which extends through and slides in a slot I6. Suitable means is provided for keeping this bar in the proper position transversely of the tube such, for example, as cotter keys 24 which are passed through the end extensions of the bar upon the outer side of the tube to extend across the adjacent slots 16 in the manner shown.

At each side of the tube there is an elongated resilient band 25 which may be a rubber band or a spring. A rubber band is here shown and each end of this band is secured in a clip 26 and these clips are provided with means for coupling the ends of the bands between the staples l5 and the adjacent projecting end portions 23 of the bar 22. Any suitable means may be employed but there is here shown a hook 21 forming a part of each clip and one of these hooks engages through a staple while the other one engages through an aperture in the adjacent bar extension. These bands constantly urge the bar 22 to move to the forward ends of the slots [6, the

end extensions 23 of the bar sliding, in the move-' ment of the bar, upon the protecting strip which is disposed along the bottom edge of the slot. Of course, when the tube is made of metal, these extensions 23 will slide directly upon the edge of the slot without having an interposed protecting" strip such as is used when the tube is made of cardboard.

The bar 22 has secured thereto adjacent its transverse center the laterally extending arm 28,

the inner end of this arm being turned, as in dicated at 29, and passing through a suitable opening in the bar 22 and also passing through a cup member 30 which is disposed within the tube with its back against the bar 22, the lateral extension having a nut 3| threaded thereon so as to bind the cup 39 against the bar 22. A pin 32 is passed through the turned end 29 of the arm 28 and this is drawn into a recess or slot 33 formed in the bar 22, when the nut 3| is drawn up to secure the cup to the bar. This pin prevents any turning movement of the part 29 in the bar.

The cup 30 is of an overall diameter to snugly fit within the tube and the mouth of the cup is directed forwardly toward the open end of the tube. This cup constitutes a ball carrier and a ball is shown and indicated by the numeral 34 which has attached thereto a flexible cord 35. This cord is attached to the forward end of the tube or barrel by means of an eye 36 secured to the wall of the barrel. Thus it will be seen that when the ball is propelled from the mouth of the tube or barrel, it will be drawn back by this flexible or stretchable tether.

The lower end of the arm 28 extends downwardly through the slot 2| and serves as a means for pulling the ball propelling bar back against the tension of the resilient bands 25.

In order that the ball 34 may be kept from. falling out of the propelling cup 30, there is provided a trigger finger 31 which is pivotally attached to the arm, as indicated at 38, so that it may oscillate on an axis extending transversely of the arm, this trigger finger extending forwardly beneath the ball cup 30 and curving upwardly so that its forward end portion will overlie a part of the mouth of the cup and, when a ball is in position in the cup, it will serve to maintain the ball in this place. At the rear of the arm 28, the trigger finger merges into the trigger arm 39 which extends downwardly through the slot 28 so that it may be accessible to the user of the gun. Adjacent its forward end the trigger finger 31 carries a weight 40 which serves to cause the finger to drop when the arm 39 is released by the user of the gun so that as the bands 25 pull the bar forwardly, the weight Will pull the finger back out of the way and thus permit the ball to be impelled freely from the mouth of the tube.

By the provision of the stop ears 25) at the rear of the slots 16, the gun may be held in set or ready-to-fire condition by pulling back upon the bar 22 and engaging the ends 23 behind these stops, the slots being sufficiently wide with respect to the portions 23, to permit these portions to ride over and behind the stops.

Secured to the underside of the barrel adjacent the forward end of the trigger slot 2| is a ring 42 which is secured at its edge to the tube so that it extends radially therefrom in the plane of the slot 2 I. This position ring is made use of when the gun is employed in playing pool. In using the gun for the playing of this game, the table on which the game is played is provided at each of the four sides with means for supporting the gun. In Fig. 5 there is illustrated conventionally a table which is indicated by the numeral M and which may represent a pool table or any other table having a sunken playing surface 45 enclosed by rails 46. The rails are provided with the vertically disposed bores or passages 51 and for use in association with these passages and for the support of the gun there is provided a rod 48 which is angled to form a long portion and a short portion. Each of these portions of the rod has secured thereto a collar 49 adjacent the end which joins the other portion and these portions of the rod are designed for insertion into the openings 4! so that the inserted portion forms a vertical pivot for the horizontal support of the other portion. As shown in Fig. 5, the long portion of the rod is inserted in the opening 41 in the short or end rail of the table, thus positioning the short portion of the rod horizontally. The gun is attached to the short horizontal portion of the rod by running the short portion through the ring (-2 so that the gun will be supported thereby and may have rocking movement in a vertical plane or swinging movement in a horizontal plane, the latter movement being brought about by turning the long end of the rod in opening 41. Where it is desired to fire the ball 34 from the gun at a ball upon the table, from a position at the side of the table, the rod may be mounted with the free end of its short portion in the opening of a side rail so that the longer portion can be swung across the table. By this means the gun can be supported in firing position at any location transversely of the table and may also be swung over the surface of the table in an arc in order to bring it into a better firing position with respect to a play ball on the table.

As previously stated, the table 44 is entirely conventionally shown to represent either a pool gitudinally thereof adjacent the slots [6 and arate control handle attached directly to the bar v 22 at one side of the arm 28. When this construction is employed, the arm 28 will terminate just below the point where the trigger finger is pivotally attached and the added control arm will continue downwardly through the slot 2 I.

What is claimed is:

1. A ball gun, comprising a tube open at one end, a pair of slots formed longitudinally of the tube in opposite sides thereof, said slots being adjacent the other end of the tube, a trigger slot formed in the tube between said oppositely positioned slots, a bar extending transversely within the tube and having end portions extending through said opposite slots, elongated stretchable members secured to the tube upon the outside thereof and to the extended ends of said bar, said members normally urging the bar to move forwardly in the slots, a handle carried by the bar and extending downwardly through the last-mentioned slot, means carried by the bar for receiving and supporting a ball at the forward side of the bar, a trigger pivoted on said handle and extending forwardly from the pivot to the front of said means and upwardly to retain a ball in said means, and a weight carried by the trigger adjacent its forward end and effecting oscillation of the trigger for release of the ball when the trigger is released.

2. A ball gun, comprising a tube having one end open and a wall closing the other end, said tube having a pair of slots oppositely disposed and extending from a point adjacent said wall toward the open end of the tube, a trigger slot in the tube extending from a point adjacent said wall towards said open end of the tube, a ball impelling bar disposed transversely within the tube and having end portions extending through the opposed slots, elongated resilient members disposed at opposite sides of the tube and each having one end attached-to the tube adjacent the open end thereof and its other end attached to the adjacent end portion of said bar, said resilient members normally pulling said bar to the limit of its movement forwardly in said slots, a cup secured to the forward side of the bar and having an open side directed toward the open end of the tube, handle means attached to the bar and extending downwardly through the trigger slot whereby the bar may be pulled rearwardly against the tension of the resilient means, a trigger finger pivotally supported from the bar and extending forwardly and curving upwardly, the upcurved portion of said finger being adapted to be moved into position in front of the mouth of said cup to retain a ball therein, a trigger arm connected with said finger facilitating its up- -Ward oscillation, and weight means carried by said trigger finger normall impelling the finger downwardly to ball releasing position.

3. A ball gun, comprising a tube having one end open and a wall closing the other end, said tube having a pair of slots oppositely disposed and extending from a point adjacent said wall toward the open end of the tube, a trigger slot in the tube extending from a point adjacent said wall towards said open end of the tube, a ball impelling bar disposed transversely within the tube and having end portions extending through the opposed slots, elongated resilient members disposed at opposite sides of the tube and each having one end attached to the tube adjacent the open end thereof and its other end attached to the adjacent end portion of said bar, said resilient members normally pulling said bar to the limit of its movement forwardly in said slots, a cup secured to the forward side of the bar and having an open side directed toward the open end of the tube, handle means attached to the bar and extending downwardly through the trigger slot whereby the bar may be pulled rearwardly against the tension of the resilient means, a trigger finger pivotally supported from the bar and extending forwardly and curving upwardly, the up-curved portion of said finger being adapted to be moved into position in front of the mouth of said cup to retain a ball therein, a

trigger arm connected with said finger facilitating its upward oscillation, weight means carried by said trigger finger normally impelling the finger downwardly to ball releasing position, and means for securing and holding said bar in rearwardly drawn position whereby said resilient means are maintained under tension.

4. A toy gun, comprising a tubular barrel having opposite longitudinal slots in the wall thereof, one end of the barrel being open, a bar extending across the barrel and having its ends slidably supported in the slots, a cup secured directly to the bar and having its open side directed toward the open end of the barrel, a stretchable strand upon each side of the barrel having one end connected to the adjacent end of the bar and the other end attached to the forward end of the barrel, the movement of the bar and cup toward the open end of the barrel being limited by contact of the bar with the forward ends of the slots, means connected with the bar and extending through a longitudinal opening in the wall of the barrel facilitating retraction of the bar and cup, and a catch means for the bar located upon a longitudinal edge of each slot adjacent the end remote from the open end of the barrel for maintaining the bar and cup retracted against the tension of said strands.

RICHARD BRUSTER HAYTER. 

